Services
ISNA provides various services for Muslim immigrants and Muslim communities in North America. It used to publish information about Islam to be distributed with the intention of informing Muslims and non-Muslims about various issues in the religion, however this role was filled by a separate, unaffiliated organization, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). They provide a forum for discussing aging and mortality as well as domestic violence. ISNA-Canada, a separately-run but loosely affiliated Canadian non-profit entity, also certifies food service and consumer products companies as Halal, and issues Islamic marriage certificates to couples with a marriage license who have performed the religious ceremony.
Although only a small percentage of mosques are official members, mosque membership in ISNA is an important step for many small communities trying to grow. ISNA also offers individual membership on an annual basis and lifetime basis for sustaining donors.
ISNA holds an annual national convention, typically on the Labor Day weekend in early September, which is generally regarded as the largest gathering of American Muslims in the United States. In the last few years, it has been held in Chicago, Illinois, with increasing numbers attending including people from outside of North America. The convention features Islamic lectures, discussions, debates, nasheeds, and Muslim comedy. A notable comedian who has repeatedly performed at ISNA is Azhar Usman.In 2012, the ISNA Convention was held in Washington, D.C. Deputy U.S. Attorney General, Thomas Perez, addressed the 2012 Convention, and other prominent representatives of the White House have attended in the past, including Valerie Jarrett, President Obama's Senior Advisor for Engagement and International Affairs in 2009.
Its current President is Mohamed Magid, now in his second and final term (ending 2014), and its Secretary General is Safaa Zarzour. Muzzamil Siddiqi was president until November 2001, and he and Imam Siraj Wahhaj served on ISNA's board of directors in the past. Dr. Sayyid Syeed is the National Director for the Office of Interfaith & Community Alliances for ISNA.
Islamic Horizons is ISNA's bi-monthly publication of ISNA, featuring news from within the Muslim community around the nation, as well as articles addressing topics relevant to Muslim Americans.
ISNA-Canada is the operator and owner of the Islamic Society of North America Elementary School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Read more about this topic: Islamic Society Of North America
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